Dan-ny?
by The Howling Behemoth
Summary: Everyone deserves a second chance, even a monster like Dark Dan. What if he got it? Thanks to Clockwork, he's given a chance to live with the emotions he abandoned as the teenage hero once again. But can the Ultimate Enemy truly change? Or his the future truly inevitable? Pairing undecided-No yaoi.
1. Chapter 1

I do not own 'Danny Phantom'

* * *

First Danny Phantom story.

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**A Second Chance**

In the far reaches of the Ghost Zone, there lives a ghost of time. Clockwork, The Master of Time.

He could see everything, he knew everything. All that is, all that was, all that ever could be. It was his duty to keep time on a straight path, minus a few twists for the better.

With a single word from this ghost, the very time steam could be turned in a direction of his choosing.

Right now, this powerful ghost was annoyed.

"Clockwork!" An Observant spoke. "You know why-"

"You're here, yes." The time ghost cut in.

"We need you to-"

"Do your work." He stated.

"That thing-"

"Needs to be destroyed for his crimes, I know." Clockwork states, highly annoyed. "I know everything."

_Almost everything._ He thinks to himself.

There was one thing that even he wasn't aware of. For now.

"Enough of this!" One of the Observants snapped. "We demand-!"

"You do not demand me!" Clockwork stated in a rare display of anger. "You are Observants as you've stated plenty of times, you _observe_, nothing more!" He glared at the ghosts. "Now observe the door."

The ghosts did as Clockwork ordered.

With the distractions gone, he made his way towards a worn out thermos.

He grabbed it and moved his hand to the lid of the container. The ghost of time hesitated for a second, but only for a second. He removed the lid.

In a display of power, Dan Phantom broke free from the container.

"Clockwork." Dan spoke calmly. "To what do I owe this early freedom?"

The time ghost looked at the being before him with...pity. He could see all of the timelines ruined because of this being, and all where he doesn't exist. But none of redemption.

"I have an offer for you."

"An offer?" Dan asked skeptically. "What could you possibly offer me, and what would you want in return?"

"You are a being that lives outside of time." Clockwork spoke. "Meaning you are a living paradox."

"Well I've been called many things, but that's a new one." Dan admitted.

"The Observants want me to destroy you." Clockwork admitted.

"Why not let _them_ try?" Dan asked darkly. "Let them face me."

"Because they only observe, though they seem to have no trouble ordering." Clockwork muttered.

"I enjoy talking down about people, but let's get to business."

Clockwork turned their attention towards his time windows, each showing the evil ghost. His life from his 'Birth' and the atrocities he's committed in his ten years of life.

"You've done horrible, unspeakable things in your time." He stated.

"Good times." Dan agreed with a smirk.

"Only to be brought down by your younger self."

"It's only a matter of time before he becomes me anyway." Dan stated uncaringly. "I'm inevitable."

"Wrong." The C.W stated. "You exist in many time lines, but not all of them."

"What?" He asked shocked.

The time ghost pointed towards one of the time windows.

"In some, you never exist because your younger self takes a different path." Clockwork stated with a hint of a smile. "He has such potential."

"What does he become?" Dan asked curious.

"In some, you continue on as the protector of Amitypark."

The window showed an image of an older Danny Phantom flying over the city

"Boring." Dan stated.

"In some you cast away your ghost half." He continues. "Others, your become full ghost."

Two windows showed an older human and ghost Danny, respectively.

"Still boring." Dan stated. "Show me something interesting."

The window showed a image of Danny Phantom sitting in the ghost zone. On his head was the Crown of Fire and on his finger was the Ring of Rage.

"You become the King of all ghosts."

"Interesting."

"One were you are worse then you've ever been."

He showed an image of the evil ghost in a desolate world. No life in either the world of the living or the dead.

Just nothing.

"Impressive." He admitted.

"Many where you save and unite the two worlds in peace."

"Yawn."

"Some you conquer them both."

"Heh."

"Some where you die."

"Back to boring."

"Many where you marry one of your female ghost enemies, or several." Clockwork stated seeing Dan with a growing smirk. "Same with your human female companions."

"Huh."

"Just as many where you marry Sam."

"Meh."

"How about where Maddie lives and you make her your bride?" Clockwork asks. "I can show you that, you have kids."

"..."

"Nothing to say?" Clockwork asked with a smirk.

"Next."

The time ghost continued moving through the potential futures. Each showing the could-have-been's and the maybe's.

"Yours."

The screen was black, but not blank, the blackness _was_ the screen.

"What is this?" Dan asked annoyed. "Run out of timelines?"

"No, this is your timeline." He motioned to the screen.

"So what, I don't exist?"

"As I stated, the Observants want me to destroy you." Clockwork reminded. "With you being outside of time, I can do so with just the snap of my finger." He eyes the evil ghost. "You exist only because I allow it."

"Then why don't you end me?" Dan asks bravely, using his Plasmius mind. _Clockwork never plays God, he's planning something._

"Your potential timeline." Clockwork states. "Even _I_ can't see it." He motions back to the time window. "Try as I might, your future isn't being revealed to me."

That caught Dan's attention.

_What can exist that even Clockwork can't see._ He thought curiously.

"What does it mean?"

"You have something many would kill for, have killed for." Clockwork answers. "A second chance."

"...What?" Those words hit him for some reason.

"You have a chance at redemption." Clockwork states. "You can try to live again. I can send you to a period in time before young Danny has one of his deciding moments." Clockwork explains. "You will be given his body to move on, to live."

"What happens to him?" Dan asks.

"Do you care?" Clockwork asks.

"No."

"...This is the time I'm placing you." He motions to another window. "Here, young Daniel dies and he doesn't become a full ghost."

"Who did him in?" Dan asks. "Was it Skulker?"

"No, it was his heart." Clockwork sighs with remorse. "The stress of it all was too much for him to handle."

"So he was weak." Dan Stated.

"It's not weak to care, to feel." Clockwork states firmly.

"This timeline says different." Dan counters.

"What I'm offering you is a chance to redeem yourself."

"You make it sound like I regret what I did." Dan smirks.

"Don't you, even a little?" Clockwork asks. "You once stated to Tucker that in your weaker moments that you missed him."

"So?"

"You can have them back." Clockwork offered. "All of them."

It finally dawn onto Dan what the master of time was offering. He could have a new timeline to himself, a chance to live as he never had.

For a moment there was a sensation in his chest, so brief, but there. A human emotion.

"Those ten years I lived as I wanted." Dan states quietly. "What makes you think this will be any different?"

"Well, if I send you to this timeline, I'm sending you with something you abandoned because of weakness." Clockwork states. "I'm giving you back the emotions you cast away, I'm giving you back your life." He looked at the shocked ghost. "You can think of it as insurance."

"..."

"Nothing to say?" Clockwork asks.

"Why _should_ I go, why not send me back to my own timeline?" Dan asked.

The master of time held out two fingers, ready to snap them.

The message was clear. Either he accepts the offer, or Dan Phantom ceases to exist.

_Not much of a choice._ Dan thought bitterly.

Even if he claimed to have no emotions left, there was always the instinctive drive for self-preservation. Even for a ghost.

"What do you get out of this?" Dan asked with honest curiosity and great suspicion. "You never interfere unless necessary to keep time moving forward."

"Other than the joy agitating the Observants through defiance?" Clockwork asks with a small smirk. "I get a surprise."

"...What?"

"I am the Master of time." He reminds. "I know all that has been and all that can be." He looked at the blank timeline. "The chance to not know will be...refreshing."

"You're giving me, a being who destroyed most of his own world." Dan reminded. "A second chance because you're _bored_?!"

"Yes." He answers blankly. "Do you have an answer?"

"Do I have a choice?" Dan asks with a roll of his eyes.

"Yes." Clockwork, raised his fingers again.

"...I accept."

"Good."

* * *

Young Danny Fenton laid in his bed.

He was so tired, in every way.

He was tired physically from the lack of rest.

Day in and day out he was attacked by ghost or saving people from said ghost. Only to be hunted by some of the humans he was trying to protect. Then there was the lack of sleep he had. Sometimes he had to go days with only a few hours of rest.

He was tired mentally from the emotional stress.

Danny tried so hard to help, only to be repaid with what? He was either hated or feared just because he was a ghost, well half ghost. To be hunted down by the people you wanted to help, by your own family! That kind of thing damages you to the very soul.

He was tired of it all! No normal fourteen year old would have been able to handle the things he did, even an un-normal would have broken.

He just wanted it all to end.

He just wanted it...

He just-

"Time Out!"

As Clockwork commanded, time stood still.

From a clock portal stepped the mast of time and Dan wearing a time medallion.

"He looks like hell." Dan stated as he looked at his younger self.

He did.

Young Danny looked as if he hadn't had a proper night's sleep in a while, if the bags under his eyes were any indication, he hadn't. Even as he laid their in a frozen state, the stress was written all over his face.

"Sadly, many timelines suffer this fate." Clockwork states sadly.

"So, what do I do?" Dan asks.

"I will restart time and you will fuse with him in the same way that created you." Clockwork instructed. "Both your consciousness and his will merge. Since he is only a halfa and you're a full ghost, you will become seventy-five percent ghost."

"I can do math." Dan stated.

"I've seen your grades." Clockwork stated with a smirk. "You never did finish High school."

"I finished college as Vlad."

"Semitics." C.W waved. "Now, a few warnings."

"Like?"

"Your power, be very careful." C.W warns. "His body can't fully handle it and you could burn through, like a flamethrower through paper mache."

"...I like that one." Dan states. "Makes me sound tougher."

He gave a small grunt of pain as C.W hit him over his head with his clock staff.

"Pay attention, this is important." C.W warned. "Each time you use too much power, your old self will burn through." C.W states. "We know how that ends for the humans and ghosts, so watch your anger."

"Anything else?" Dan asked, slightly bored.

"This is your last chance Dan, make it count." C.W advises. "Time In!"

Dan moved to the weak willed child.

* * *

Dan-ny opened his eyes.

He stood from his bed only to fall over.

_Something's not right!_ He thought.

This was not a feeling he had experienced in a long time, not since his halfa days. It was exhaustion and emotional turmoil! Limitations to his mind and body he had long since abandoned.

He felt so...weak!

His power, it was still there and ready for him to grab. Though it was being cut off, like an ocean blocked into a river.

What he felt was of the mind and heart.

He felt...helplessness. He felt caring for everything and other emotions.

_Why, why do I...feel...this?!_ He thought to himself.

He looked around for his answer.

He was in his old room. He looked around and saw his old things.

Posters of Humpty-Dumpty. Models of NASA ships. Pictures of him with his friends and family.

Then his emotions hit him again, even harder. He felt..._everything_!

The nostalgia of being in his old room. The comfort of being home. That safety you feel when under your parents roof.

Why had he ever gave these up? Then came the answers in the form of negative emotions.

The pain he had felt when he lost them all. Regret, he had done so many terrible things.

But he can change it, he can try and make up for it! All the terrible things he had did, they didn't exist, not here! He could do so much here.

But he had to be sure.

He made his way out of _his room_ and into _his home_. Everything was exactly as he remembered it!

He passed his parents room. He heard the familiar sound of his father's snoring, even from the distance he was at. While he mom barely made a sound.

Dan-ny continued on.

He looked into Jazz's room to see her sleeping comfortably.

_They're here! _He thought with a heavy heart. _They're alive!_

He made his way closer to her and stepped on something. Looking down, he saw that it was her Einstein bear.

He grabbed it and placed it next to her.

"Mmm-Danny?" She mumbled sleepily as her eyes fluttered open. "Is everything okay?"

He didn't say anything. He just stared at the girl before him, his sister. He hadn't seen her in ten years.

_She looks just like I remember._ He thought. The statue didn't due her or anyone justice.

Danny moved closer to her, causing her to back away. He froze when she did that. He was use to people doing that.

He liked it then, but now it made him...sad? Is that what he felt?

"Danny?" She spoke.

He saw that she wasn't _afraid_, just curious. There was a bit of worry, but it was _for_ him, not _of_ him. How long had it been since someone cared for his well-being, not for his destruction.

He pulled her into a hug. It was tight, but not enough to hurt. Slowly, she returned the hug.

"Was there a ghost?" She asked shocked from his behavior.

"Yeah Jazz." He answered as wiped away the growing tears. "There was, but he's gone."

He hoped.

* * *

**Review**

**First DP story, tell me in your reviews if you want me to continue on, or you want it as a oneshot.**


	2. Chapter 2

I do not own 'Danny Phantom'

**Adjusting**

Dan-ny awoke from his sleep feeling...good!

He hadn't been sore from his enemies getting in a lucky shot. He wasn't constantly making sure that no enemies were insight for an ambush. He wasn't trapped in that stupid thermos!

If he had any complaints, it would be that his ghost sense went off several times. He ignored them to enjoy his first relaxing night in ages.

Then he smelt something he hadn't in ten years.

_Smoke and ecto-plasm._ He thought fondly. "Mom's cooking."

* * *

Dan-ny went over a few human routines before making his way into the kitchen.

"Well look who's up early." Maddie stated with a smile. "I hop-whoo!"

He cut her off by pulling her into a surprise hug, similar to Jazz's. Tight but not too tight, just enough to show he cared.

When he was done, he sat beside his sister.

"Sleep well?" Jazz asks with a raised eyebrow.

"Better than I have in ten...weeks." He stated.

_I must be out of practice._ He hadn't had to lie in a decade.

Luckily neither she nor Jazz caught his slip up.

"Kids, breakfast is ready." Maddie called.

The teens turned to the toaster, which was shaking and glowing. Jazz had pulled her school bag up protectively.

_I feel I'm forgetting something._ He thought. _Something semi-important._

His mind became distracted as his mother bent over to pick up an ingredient. This gave Dan-ny full view of the jumpsuit covering her...generous rear. It was well shaped from her exercise but still bountiful.

_Damn you Vlad!_ He thought as he tried to turn away.

There was always that part in him that everyone seemed to forget, even himself. It was Vlad's very being that corrupted him in the first place. A part of him would always be there. That included his desires for Maddie...who happened to be his mother.

_Dear lord, I have an Oedipus complex._ He thought.

The toaster finally exploded in green fire as two toasted slices of bread flew free. He was thankful for the distraction.

They were severely burnt to the point of being black. They had razor sharp teeth and drooled ecto-plasm. Both had a single eye on a random part of their toasty body. They carried a green glow as they floated above the table.

"Now I remember!" Danny stated with a finger snap. "Mom can't cook."

"Hey!" She stated indignantly.

To prove his point, the toasted bread flew towards the teens. One for each of them.

Maddie was able to remove her ecto-pistol and fire at the one moving towards Danny. The toast fell to pieces as she hit her mark.

The one for Jazz was to close to risk shooting.

Dan grabbed the toast mid-flight mere inches from his sister's face.

It hissed and snapped at him. He glared at it with an intensity that it was silenced in fear. His eyes flashed red but returned to normal before anyone noticed. He was angry that this thing tried hurting his sister.

"Mom." He spoke coldly. "Could you pass the butter."

* * *

"That was sick!" Jazz stated as she walked out the door.

Her brother followed behind her in a fit of uncontrolled laughter.

"Come on, it wasn't that bad." He stated while laughing. "Just a little...dry."

She gave him a shake of her head before speaking behind him. "He's your problem now."

He turned to see who she was talking about and froze, both in happiness and regret.

It was Sam and Tucker.

For him, the last he had saw of them was when he tried to kill them. After his first meeting with them in ten years, after their tragic deaths. For them, it had been a mere night before.

"Hey dude, what's up with Jazz?" Tucker asked.

"You mess with Bearbert again?" Sam playfully accused.

He didn't answer, he just made his way towards them. He grabbed them both and pulled them into a double bear-hug. They wouldn't have been able to escape if they tried. When he finally let them go they were confused.

"Dude, you feeling okay?" Tucker asked.

"Better than ever." He answered. "It just feels as if I hadn't seen you guys in ten...hours." He stated.

_Like riding a bicycle._ He was getting better.

"Actually, it's been over eleven hours." Tucker stated as he checked his PDA.

"You and your toys."

"They aren't toys." Tucker clarified. "They're my babies!"

He watched his two friends bicker back and forth, it was better than he remembered. It would have brought a tear to his eye, but that would have been too strange to hide.

"What do you guys say we skip the day and just chill out?" Danny asked. "Some Nasty burger and movies, maybe a few games?"

"Would love to." Tucker began.

"But can't?" Sam finished. "We have-"

* * *

School.

This had been one of the first places he had leveled in his timeline. Even now with his humanity restored, he did not regret his actions. He was considering repeating it, could he get it to look like an accident?

"You coming?" Tucker asked.

"Yeah."

So what if he had to go through school, for a third time! Once as Vlad, who had his life ruined in those final school years. As Danny, a unpopular loser who never finished. And as Dan, an out of placed time paradox.

He had his family and friends back. They were more important than a seven hours of his life...five days a week...for several more years...

_How would I make it look like an accident?_ He thought.

"Come on you!" Sam stated as she grabbed him by the hands and dragged him. "Don't want to be late again."

As he looked down, he saw their connected hands, his heart fluttered. Even now, she had this kind of affect on him.

* * *

Dan-ny made his way to class and was on time for the first time in ages. It came as a shock to most of his classmates as well as his teacher.

"Well, nice to see you making an effort Mr. Fenton." His teacher spoke.

Dan-ny looked at the portly teacher. There would be no hugs for him, he had not been missed.

He made his way to the back and sat with his friends.

"I am happy to announce that I will be temporarily be filling in for you science teacher." Mr Lancer stated, ignoring the groans.

As class continued on, Dan-ny's began to wonder off. His thoughts filled with all of the possibilities of his new world.

"Mr. Fenton, could you please tell me the mass and mold of two oxygen atoms?" Mr. Lancer asked.

"Thirty-two grams per mold." Dan-ny answered.

"Oh, that's...correct?" The teacher stated in shock. "Well can you-"

Mr. Lancer proceeded to ask the young paradox question after question, expecting him to miss at least one of them. Yet he never did. These were all easy questions for someone who's been to prestigious schools. Especially a genius like Vlad.

"Why don't you put this much effort into my class?" Mr. Lancer asked.

Dan-ny was tempted to give a smart answer but thought against it. Instead, he shrugged and continued to let his mind wonder.

* * *

"I can't believe that you outwitted Mr. Lancer!" Tucker laughed. "Did you gain some kind of mind reading powers and not tell us?"

"No I-"

"Fenturd!" A familiar voice raged.

"Oh cheese logs." Dan-ny mumbled.

Dan-ny looked at the larger teen in annoyance.

Dash Baxter, one of the people he hadn't missed. In fact, there wasn't even any guilt from the payback he had gotten in his own timeline. In fact, he still hated his old self for not doing something about it. Nearly anything would have been better then taking a beating that he could have won with no effort. But no, he had to be a goody-two shoes about it and endure. That way, none of the other students would have to take the brutes wailing.

As the larger teen made his way down the hall, he gained a cunning idea.

_Maybe I can make this work to my advantage._ He thought cunningly.

"Tuck, does your PDA have a video camera?" He asked, knowing the answer.

"She's insulted you asked." Tucker said with indignity. "Of course she has a video camera!"

"Then turn it on, and keep it on me." Dan-ny ordered.

Dash had grabbed the smaller teen by the shirt and rammed him into the locker.

"I just got a D- on my math test." He stated. "Know what that means?"

"D _minus_?" Dan-ny asked in fake suprise. "You're actually improving, congratulations."

"Bet you think you're hot stuff, don't you?" Dash asked. "Well you're still the puny-Ahh!"

Dan-ny had enough of the larger jock, he grabbed him by his arms and shoved him back. The action alone shocked all of the teens present almost as much as the lack of effort. Only one wasn't shocked, instead the jock was enraged.

Dash swung widely at the smaller teen who ducked under the blow. He smirked, which enraged Dash further. He swung at Dan-ny repeatedly, pushing the smaller teen back to avoid the blow. Finally he backed into the locker and had nowhere to go.

"Got'ya!" Dash shouted.

He threw a punch with everything in it at Dan-ny, who only smiled. The ghost child simply moved his head to the side just enough for Dash to miss him. There was a sickening wet crunch as Dash's fist came in contact with the locker. Not the locker door, it was the wall part where to lockers met. The bully grabbed his hand in pain as he screamed.

"Great Gatsby!" A voice rang. "What's going on here!"

All actions ceased.

"I was minding my own business when Dash here decided to attack me." Dan-ny stated calmly.

"He's lying Mr. Lancer!" Dash stated. "Look at my hand!"

"I have proof that he's lying." Dan-ny stated. "He injured himself."

"Mr. Fenton report to the Principles office, immediately." Mr. Lancer ordered. "Mr. Baxter, report to the nurse's office and then back to class."

"You can't do that." Sam protested. "It-"

"Of course I can." Mr. Lancer stated. "Dash here is our star quarter back, winning our last game with his touchdown passes." The portly teacher exclaimed. "He is exempt from scorn, you on the other hand are not?"

"And neither are you." Dan-ny replied with a cold smile. "You ignore information and pass biased judgment on your students, that's called favoritism." Danny stated as he turned to his friend. "Tuck, play back the last scene with out dear teacher."

Tucker did so and showed all.

_"I was minding my own business when Dash here decided to attack me." Dan-ny stated calmly._

_"He's lying Mr. Lancer!" Dash stated. "Look at my hand!"_

_"I have proof that he's lying." Dan-ny stated. "He injured himself."_

_"Mr. Fenton report to the Principles office, immediately." Mr. Lancer ordered. "Mr. Baxter, report to the nurse's office and then back to class."_

_"You can't do that." Sam protested. "It-"_

_"Of course I can." Mr. Lancer stated. "Dash here is our star quarter back, winning our last game with his touchdown passes." The portly teacher exclaimed. "He is exempt from scorn, you on the other hand are not?"_

_"And neither are you." Dan-ny replied._

Mr. Lancer paled at the video. That little piece of video alone could end his whole career as a teacher! Even if he wasn't fired, he would be monitored out of suspicion for even the slightest slip up. No other school would hire him to be so much as a crossing guard. Just the tiniest error and all would be lost.

The students watched in shock and awe of the scene. Not only had the 'loser' Danny Fenton show that he was strong, but he also outwitted a teacher!

"Checkmate." Dan-ny spoke with a smirk.

* * *

Danny and Tucker were enjoying a round of victory laughter as they made their way to the Nasty Burger.

He had managed to get some nice things out of the teacher. Dash would get punished fully for his actions and then some. All of the future tardiness and abscesses would be ignored for the trio. They had even managed to get a few bucks out of the deal. Any punishment for confrontation with the A-listers would be ignored or placed onto said group.

Now the teacher and A-listers would tread carefully. It was a reason for celebration.

Though one of the trio didn't see it that way.

"How could you do that Danny?" Sam asked.

"What, stop the corruption in the school?" Danny asked sarcastically. "Get the bullies to back down and even make our ghost hunting easier?"

"Through blackmail and manipulation!" She exclaimed. "Do you even know what happened to Dash, his hand is broken!"

"No less than he deserves." Tucker stated. "How many times has he injured someone and got away with it?" He asked. "Us included."

The goth sent the techno-geek a glare before turning to her attention back to Danny.

"This isn't like you Danny." She stated in a softer voice. "You're acting like Vlad."

_Am I really that bad?_ He asked himself.

He honestly didn't know. He thought he was doing a good thing with Dash. Now other teens couldn't be hurt. Where his methods too extreme?

"Maybe you're right." He mumbled.

_I remember this feeling._ He thought sadly. _Self doubt and guilt._ He had become very familiar with it in his past life. It seemed that history would be repeating itself.

Then came another sensation that he was familiar with, his ghost sense. Instead of the red mist from his nose that he had grown used to. It was the blue mist from his mouth from his older days.

"Hello misplaced aggression." Dan-ny spoke. "I'm going ghost!"

* * *

**Review.**

**I continued.-Changed possible pairing. You'll see why next chapter. Choices are up for grabs really.**


	3. Chapter 3

I do not own 'Danny Phantom'

**Actions**

"I'm going ghost!"

How long had it been since he last said that? Ten long years. He was really starting to like having nostalgic feelings.

Around his waist appeared two white rings that traveled in opposite directions. Gone was his human attires, only to be replaced with a black and white hazmat suite. His black hair became snow white and his blue eyes became ecto-green.

Dan-ny Fenton was gone, he was Dan-ny Phantom.

_Something's wrong._ He thought. _I feel...weak!_

It felt as if his power was being held back. Almost as if a wall was in the way of his power. He felt the wall as he drew on his ecto-energy. He could break it and draw on the rest of his power. Just a little push and...

The time ghosts words echoed through his consciousness.

_"Now, a few warnings."_

_"Like?"_

_"Your power, be very careful." C.W warns. "His body can't fully handle it and you could burn through, like a flamethrower through paper mache."_

_"...I like that one." Dan states. "Makes me sound tougher."_

_He gave a small grunt of pain as C.W hit him over his head with his clock staff._

_"Pay attention, this is important." C.W warned. "Each time you use too much power, your old self will burn through." C.W states. "We know how that ends for the humans and ghosts, so watch your anger."_

The warning was enough to stop his pull. Even if he wasn't at full strength, he was still more powerful than his old fourteen year old self, which was just as strong if not stronger than most of his enemies. But still weaker than some of his enemies.

"Danny, you there?" Someone asked.

He looked to see his friends looking at him in a confused manner. Apparently he had blanked out for a moment and worried them.

"I'm fine, be back after I destroy this ghost." He answered.

With that, he left two very confused teens.

"Did he say...destroy?"

They decided to follow.

* * *

Dan-ny flew into the area with the most screaming. That was usually how he found his ghostly time was no different.

There he found a familiar duo of ghost in the most unlikely of alliances.

"Johnny 13!" Dan-ny called. "And Bertand?"

He found them inside of the school, roaming the halls.

These two ghost weren't the type to attack just for him, they were selfish, not vengful. There was nothing here that the two ghosts could possible have any interest in. There were no bike parts or misery to feed off of and no women with low self-esteem. That only meant one thing, it was a trap.

Danny dashed to the side just in time to avoid a ecto-laser blast from behind. Several more came in rapid succession leaving him no choice but to evade.

_Need more room._ He thought as he flew throught the walls.

He flew to the gym where he hoped there would be no humans in the way. When he got there he thankful for his luck, no had all been terrified from the specters. Now he just needed to find his enemy.

"Now where are you?" Danny asked himself.

"Hello welp." A familiar voice called.

Dan-ny turned to see Skulker, though not the one he was familiar with. This Skulker was still a singular being in his bulky ghost armor. Not Skul-tech 9.9. Beside him where Johnny and Bertrand.

"What do you want?" Dan-ny asked, though he knew the answer.

"My girlfriend broke up with me, _me_! _Skulker_!" He stated in outrage. "The Ghost Zone's greatest hunter! She even dared to say I'm a lousy hunter!"

"So you're here to prove her wrong by taking my pelt and offering it to her in hopes of her taking you back." Dan-ny surmised.

"Exactly!" He answered as his accomplices phased throught the walls.

"And these two?" Dan-ny asked.

"Well we're his partners." The shape-shifter answered.

"We decided to make this a boys night." Johnny answered. "The girls almost took over the world with theirs."

"More like bait." Dan-ny taunted.

"Partners!"

With that, Skulker initiated his 'hunt' with Phantom.

The larger ghost fired a rocket at Dan-ny, which he easily evaded.

"Your aim seems to-Ahh!"

He was cut off by his own pain. The rocket had changed course and flew into his back. They were only strong enough to stun him, but that still hurt.

"Like it, one of my many new upgrades." Skulker boasted. "Ecto-seeking missals."

_Great, I'm fighting an unknown with limited power._ He thought bitterly.

Skulker had always given Danny a decent amount of trouble, especially since he had a new upgrade each time. Then there was Johnnie 13 and Bertrand. Usually Johnnie was helpless without his shadow and Bertrand wasn't that powerful, but an alliance? And between all three of them.

It's been awhile since he had a challenge.

"Well you aren't the only one with some new tricks." Dan-ny stated.

Dan-ny flew towards the fired a beam towards the ghostly trio to scatter them.

Bertrand began changing forms into a hulking figure with wings, a muscular gargoyle. He grabbed the bleachers and tore them from their place.

He threw them at the distracted Phantom and buried him under it.

Skulker's shoulder opened to free a canon of some kind and fired at the pile. An ecto blast destroyed the bleachers and left a crater. There was no sign of Phantom.

"Is that it?" Skulker asked.

"We did it!" Johnny and Bertrand cheered.

"That was almost too easy." Skulker complained. "An unworthy hunt."

Dan-ny then flew from underground shocking the ghost. Not from his survival, but from his eyes. They weren't ecto-green, but crimson red.

"My turn!"

Dan-ny extended his hand and caught Johnny's bike in his ecto-field. With a heave of his hand, he sent the biker into the wall, to shocked to phase through the biker fell over in pain.

Bertrand, in his Gargoyle form, grabbed the paradox from behind and squeezed. The strength didn't seem to bother Dan-ny as he moved his free hand to touch the shape-shifter. He sent a burst of energy through Bertrand, shocking the ghost and forcing him to release Dan-ny. But Dan-ny never let go, he only dived down towards the ground while holding the wailing ghost. He went intangible while his foe was in too much pain to do so, causing him to crash head first floor.

Dan-ny's hand came back up and grabbed Bertrand by the head. He raised it and slammed it into the ground over and over again until ecto-plasm began leaking.

He turned to Skulker, who was shocked at the open brutality that the hero had just displayed.

"And then there was one."

* * *

_-A few minutes earlier_

Tucker and Sam were running through the halls of the school, trying to find the ghosts and their friend. It was difficult with the other students running in the opposite direction, in other words, pushing _against_ them.

"Why are so many students in school after hours!" Tucker screamed. "It's unnatural."

"Some kids like learning for the future you know." Sam stated with a role of her eyes.

"What maniac wants extra school work to do?!" Tucker asked before colliding with another person.

"Sam, Tucker?" Jazz spoke.

"What are you doing here?" Sam asked.

"Extra credit work." She answered. "You?"

Sam gave Tucker a smug look as the techno-geek rolled his eyes while standing.

To answer his question, Dan-ny flew through the walls. After him, were two ghost that they often run into.

"Ghost."

They ran to the gym to see a group of students at the door, watching Phantom. This also blocked them from getting towards the scene to help.

"What do we do?" Jazz whispered.

There was only one thing they could do, watch and wait.

_-Now_

"Something's wrong." Sam stated. "I've never seen him so...viscous before."

* * *

Johnny 13 had regained consciousness quickly after the assault, but stayed down when he saw the fight and results. He decided to wait for a moment to escape that wouldn't involve a beating.

"A hunter knows when the prey is no longer the prey." Skulker stated.

Two mechanical wings ejected from his back as he went intangible. He went up towards the ceiling, intending to fly away but wasn't so lucky.

Dan-ny also went intangible and grabbed the hunter by his legs. He sent a burst of energy that shorted the suit and forced Skulker to become tangible again before throwing him to the ground.

"You're not escaping." Dan-ny stated cruelly.

He reached for his thermos but felt nothing, looking down he saw that it was gone!

_No, wait._ He never thought to bring it, it was at home. _Not that I need it._

With a wave of his hand, he could open a portal to the Ghost Zone. _Seem's I haven't lost all my powers._

"Um, Da-Phantom, you lef-_dropped_ this!" Jazz spoke as she entered the gym with a thermos.

Bad move.

As soon as Jazz opened the gym doors, the others took that as a sign that the fight was over and flooded in. Each one rushing over to meet the Phantom hero. Each one acting as a distraction.

"Now Shadow!"

Johnny 13 sent his shadow to attack the distracted Phantom.

There wasn't much the shadow could do against Phantom and they knew it. But he could work as as decent distraction.

Shadow collided with the paradox, throwing him off balance. He didn't relent as he continued pushing Phantom through a wall.

Johnny acted fast as he grabbed the nearest person and drove away on his bike. The ghost grabbed Jazz.

* * *

Just as Dan-ny returned from having dealt with the shadow, he turned his attention towards the bad luck ghost.

"Where is that coward?" Dan-ny asked.

"You have to stop him!" Sam shouted. "He took Jazz!"

What.

"What?"

Dan-ny looked around the gym to see that she was indeed gone. As well as the bad luck ghost.

He quickly took off in the direction Sam was pointing. Flying as fast as he could through the walls.

Eventually he came to the outside of the school. He flew as high as he could to get a good vantage point. There was no sign of the bad luck ghost or his sister.

_Oh God! Where is she!?_ He frantically thought.

Panic began overtaking the paradox. What if she was hurt? What if Johnny had done something to her.

She was probably scared! Waiting for him to come and save her.

He just didn't know what to do!

Another emotion began overtaking him. Like this morning with the toast, but a hundred times more intense. It was rage, pure and unrestrained rage. It was filling the paradox with it's essence. Burning away in his entire being.

He knew what he would do. If Jazz was hurt in any way, he knew _exactly_ what he would do. He would break them.

* * *

Dan burst through the ceiling, not even bothering to become intangible. He crashed landed feet first into the gym, still filled with the teens and his target.

They backed away when they saw him.

He didn't care. His attention was solely focused on the hunter ghost.

"Find her." He ordered.

"What?" Skulker asked.

"Jazz, find her now!" He screamed.

"Skulker hunts what he hunts, nothing more, nothing less." He stated. "I won't waste my time on some human."

Dan snatched the metal head from the rest of the body in one motion. The miniature ghost tried to fly away, but Dan caught him in a death grip. No pun intended.

"She not just some human!" He shouted. "Now you find her or so help me I will send you to the void!"

No one, ghost or human, had ever seen him the way he was now. Not as either Danny or Dan, this was something knew. The way he seemed to burn away in anger for Jazz.

Skulker felt that he was serious in his threat.

"I will find her." Skulker whispered.

Dan released the ghost but never took his eyes from him.

Skulked began searching for a scent, a trail, anything! Anything that would lead him to the bad luck ghost. He never thought of trying to escape, he was too scared to do so.

* * *

**Review.**

**Sorry for wait.**


	4. Chapter 4

I do not own 'Danny Phantom'

**Actions II**

Hatred.

Not anger or rage reaching it's peak. No, what he felt was pure and undiluted hatred. It showed in his crimson red eyes.

Just above his fear.

He looked at the miniature ghost before him, Skulker, not the source of his hatred but a key factor. He, as well as Bertrand, had played a part in the assault on the school where Jazz had been taken.

Now the tiny ghost was doing all he could to find the missing girl. Not to help her or anything that generous. He was doing it simply to prolong his own existence.

"Hey it's Danny Phantom!" A person shouted.

"What's he doing here?" Someone asked.

"He must be after a ghost." Another answered.

It just occurred to the paradox where the hunter had taken him, a populated part of the city. Full of stores and shops, with people moving in and out.

But no Johnny 13.

"Where are they?" He asked angrily.

"They are in the area." The ghost quickly assured. "But without my suite, I can't find their exact location."

"And you call yourself a hunter." Dan mocked.

Dan began forming an ecto-orb above his head. It grew from his usual baseball size at a rapid rate. It began growing until it was the size of a small car.

"Come on out 13!" Dan shouted at the top of his lungs, boarder ghostly wail. "Or I'll turn this entire area into a vacant lot!"

It was a bluff. He wouldn't dare throw that much power into the ecto-attack. Not with Jazz still out there and in danger of being hurt by him.

But no one needed to know that. It was better that they thought he was serious. By the way Skulker and the humans were shaking, he must have seemed very believable.

"Stop!"

Dan turned toward the source of the scream. It was a ghost, just not the one he had been searching for, it was the Box ghost.

"What are you doing here?!" Dan asked. "Where's 13?!"

"The unlucky ghost that has fled at the sight of the-"

He never had the chance to finish as Dan grabbed him around his neck. Ghost didn't need to breath, but not doing so was uncomfortable. Not to mention the amount of pressure on his neck was just under crushing it. He may be a ghost, but he could still feel pain.

"WHERE!?" Dan snapped.

The Box ghost weakly pointed a finger towards the next building over. It was a motorcycle-shop.

Dan would have smacked himself for his stupidity if he hadn't been so angry.

* * *

Johnny was panicking. He didn't know what was wrong with Danny, but he wasn't the kid he knew.

To make matters worse, he had kidnapped his sister! It hadn't been intentional, he just grabbed someone. Hoping to make use of them as a distraction or something.

"Let me go!" Jazz shouted as she flailed. _Of all the times I leave the Fenton Peeler at home, it's when a ghost attacks!_

"Stop squirming!" Johnny shouted.

"When Danny get's here he'll...!"

Before she could finish her statement, the wall was destroyed by an ecto blast. In the doorway was Dan phantom.

"W-Who are you?" Johnny asked in rising fear.

"Don't you recognize the punk?"

Johnny froze in fear. If the ghost before him really was Danny, then he was in more trouble than he had thought.

"Shadow attack!"

The ghost construct didn't have enough time to even rise from the ground before Dan vaporized it. The blast was strong enough to knock Johnny 13 off of his feet and across the room.

Danny then blasted the bad luck ghosts bike. That would keep him from trying to make a quick exit on him.

Johnny picked himself up and looked at the remains of his bike. The sight of it angered him enough to attack Danny without his Shadow to back him up.

He ran forward and punched the paradox in the face, Dan only looked at him unimpressed. He backhanded Johnny onto the ground and began a slow walk towards him.

"H-Hey I give." Johnny spoke. "You win."

"I know." Dan spoke.

Dan waved his glowing hand towards the remains of the bike. His energy picked up a shard of the ghost's bike, a sharp piece of ecto-shrapnel about a foot long.

"W-What are you doing?!" Johnny asked in horror as he came towards him. "I surrendered! I can't fight!"

"So what, should I wait for you to get your powers back and let you come again with more friends?" Dan asked. "That's not how I roll."

He grabbed the bad luck ghost by the back of his neck and turned him away. He turned the metal shard intangible and placed it into, slowly into Johnny's back. At the base of his spine. He removed his hand and left the metal.

Johnny had expected to be in pain, but it didn't hurt in the slightest. In fact, he couldn't fell anything from his waist below. That's when alarm set in, he couldn't feel anything...or move.

"What did you do to me?" He asked.

"That shards still there." Dan answered. "Intangible and unreachable whether you're ghost or human."

"Why?!" The ghost wailed.

Dan pointed a finger at Jazz.

"The only reason I don't re-kill you is because I want you to pass on a little message about attacking those I care about." He growled.

He dropped the ghost, he had no further use for him. The message would be passed whether Johnny personally delivered it or not, simply with him existing. He would be a constant reminder to all.

It was time for the reason he came. His sister.

He made his way towards Jazz, only for his sister to back away in fear. This confused him, he reached out a hand to comfort her, but she only crawled into a ball and began to whimper.

"Jazz...?" He spoke.

"Get away!" She screamed in terror.

A flash to his side caught his attention. Turning, he saw a polished motorcycle with his reflection in it. Dan took a look at himself...and back stepped. His hair was in between it's usual set place and wisps of flames. His eyes were a crimson red that brimmed with leftover anger. His face, it was cracking and gaining a tint of blue.

He looked like he did when he had merged with Vlad, between the corruption.

The time ghosts words echoed through his consciousness again.

_"Now, a few warnings."_

_"Like?"_

_"Your power, be very careful." C.W warns. "His body can't fully handle it and you could burn through, like a flamethrower through paper mache."_

_"...I like that one." Dan states. "Makes me sound tougher."_

_He gave a small grunt of pain as C.W hit him over his head with his clock staff._

_"Pay attention, this is important." C.W warned. "Each time you use too much power, your old self will burn through." C.W states. "We know how that ends for the humans and ghosts, so watch your anger."_

He should have listened to the warning. It was becoming clear now, his old self was coming out. Not just physically, but mentally as well.

He looked at the ghost before him and felt no regret. He had actually enjoyed what he did to him, just like in the old days. And he knew he that he'd enjoy hurting anyone that was a threat to his friends or family.

But he wasn't too far gone.

He calmed himself as best he could. Taking a deep breath, he relaxed as he spoke two words in his mind.

_She's safe._ He repeated over and over.

As he did, his body began to calm down as he did. His hair became just that. His skin began healing itself. Even his hatred began subsiding. Soon he was Dan-ny again.

"Jazz." He whispered. "It's me."

Slowly, she peaked from under her arm to look at him. Her eyes met his green ones,

"D-Danny?"

He nodded.

She lunged at her brother and began crying into his arms, he let her. He stroked her hair and spoke soothing words to her.

She was safe.

Relief washed over him, oh how he liked the feeling of that. It was like a weight he never noticed had been taken off of him.

If only they noticed the bystanders that had recorded the whole thing. If they had, it would have save them a lot of the trouble they would be dealing with.

* * *

**Review**

**Sorry it's short, I just needed to get this one out of the way. I'll try and make it up to you all next chapter.**


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